Over the last couple of years, Tottenham Hotspur have shifted their focus to recruiting younger talent to improve the first-team squad rather than signing players for an immediate upgrade but providing no sell-on fee.
The summer window of 2021/22 saw the arrival of new boss Nuno Espírito Santo, with the former Wolves Head Coach tasked with taking the club to the next level.
He was backed in the transfer market, with owner Daniel Levy splashing upwards of £80m on new talent to try and establish the Lilywhites as a consistent top-four Premier League side.
However, the Portuguese boss would only last four months at the helm, taking charge of just 17 games before leaving Spurs – achieving a win percentage of 53%.
Whilst his appointment was a disaster, he made the right call by bringing one player to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – especially considering the impact he’s made since his transfer.
Pape Sarr’s time at Tottenham Hotspur
Midfielder Pape Matar Sarr joined Tottenham in a roughly £15m deal from Ligue 1 side Metz back in August 2021, before moving back to the French side on loan for the remainder of the campaign.
However, he returned to the club ahead of the 2022/23 season, mainly operating as a squad player, making 14 appearances in all competitions – with 11 coming in the Premier League.
The arrival of Postecoglou at the start of 2023/24 saw a huge increase in first-team minutes for the Senegalese youngster, featuring in 34 league matches for a combined 2085 minutes – a near 10x increase from the season prior.
The “frightening” 21-year-old, as dubbed by talent scout Antonio Mango, has featured in all three league outings so far this campaign, starting against Newcastle United and Leicester City before coming on in the second half against Everton.
As a result of his excellent performances for the Aussie in the last two seasons, Sarr has seen his market value skyrocket – demonstrating the impact of the club’s new recruitment model.
2022/23
14
0
1
367′
2023/24
35
3
3
2,103′
2024/25
3
0
0
146′
Total:
52
3
4
2,616′
Pape Sarr’s market value in 2024
Three years after his £15m move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Sarr has seen his value jump massively, with the midfielder having the potential to improve further given his tender age.
As per Transfermarkt, the Senegalese international is now valued at £38m – an increase of around 150% on the fee they paid for him three years ago.
His subsequent value is higher than that of Richarlison, who is now valued at £32m just a couple of years after his £60m move to North London.
His huge jump in value is a demonstration as to how successful the club’s recruitment can be, potentially handing them an edge in the hunt to once again secure Champions League football, as they look to develop talented prospects.
Postecoglou is a fantastic manager who can extract the best out of young talents, with Sarr one of the beneficiaries of his ability to work with up-and-coming stars, as evidenced by his soaring value.
This season is another great opportunity for the former Metz ace to build on his impressive season last time around, allowing him to gain more experience whilst also further increasing his market value.
